RWBY 6 10 - Dragon
by Darkpenn
Summary: And now ... the endgame.


**Dragon**

 _And now ... the endgame._

[Author's note: This story follows the story _All In_ , and is the tenth episode of a fanfic version of volume 6.]

The white Gryphon carrying Team RWBY careened from side to side. A particularly violent swing almost threw them off.

"Sorry, sorry," said Weiss. "But this is not like riding a bike. I'm not even sure how it works."

"All things considered, I believe the plan is going, er, according to plan," pronounced Ruby.

"Great, we are going to die according to plan," muttered Blake.

The tower of Beacon Academy, as well as the frozen dragon perched on a buttress pillar, was in clear sight now. Weiss had taken the Gryphon in an arc, to avoid the Nevermores flying from the tower to the Garden Quadrant, where Team Coffee and the others were fighting the fight of their lives. But one of the Nevermores had turned back towards the tower.

"Uh, Weiss," said Ruby. "I know that your summoned Grimm creatures dissolve after a while. Do you think this will last long enough for us to get there?"

"No idea," said Weiss. "I haven't summoned this one before."

The others looked at each other. "Cross your fingers," said Yang.

* * *

Salem willed herself into something like calm. Stepping over the body of Hazel she walked slowly into the adjoining room, her library, and stared out the window at the Frostfire Wastes.

Tricked. Deceived. Manipulated. Wherever the Knowledge Relic was now, it was most probably out of her reach.

This is not like Ozpin, she thought. Too clever, too risky. And the engraving on the fake lantern? Certainly not Ozpin. No, someone with a wicked sense of humour had done this. With the aim of making her look in the wrong direction. But who?

"Ah," she said aloud. "Her."

And what did she want? What was important to her?

There was only one answer. Beacon Academy.

But taking back Beacon would require ...

"The dragon," said Salem. " _My_ dragon."

She called the Seer to her side and began to take books from the shelves.

* * *

"Damn, that thing is big," said Yang.

"But it's a sitting target," said Ruby. "We cut its head off, check out our old room, and then off to our usual cafe in Vale. I'm buying."

"Uh, it blinked," said Blake. "I'm sure I saw the eye move."

The dragon was covered in white ice. But a crack had appeared in the ice. As they watched, another crack, running down the ice covering the creature's wing, appeared.

"Salem," breathed Ruby.

"Almost there," said Weiss, as she guided the Gryphon towards the wrecked roof of the tower. But the Gryphon was beginning to fade, leaving a trail of silver fragments behind it.

"Jump!" shouted Ruby.

They hit the roof, and rolled. The Gryphon disintegrated.

"Well, all that wasn't so hard," said Yang, dusting herself off.

"Then next time you do it," said Weiss. She sagged to the ground, panting from the effort. "I ... I don't know how much more help I'm going to be, guys," she said. "I don't have much left."

"You've done your part," said Ruby. "Now let me do mine." She extended Crescent Rose into its full, deadly length. She strode towards the edge of the roof near the dragon.

Then there was an immense cracking sound, and the whole tower shook.

"Oh no," said Blake.

The dragon, still half-covered in ice, hauled itself onto the roof. It stared at Ruby.

And in its eye Ruby saw an image of Salem. She struck out with the scythe, catching the dragon on the side of its reptilian face. There was a splash of something that might have been blood.

The dragon gave a roar. It was clearly not at its full strength but it was nevertheless incredibly powerful. It began to advance on Ruby. She backed up, slashing at the creature.

"Hey!" shouted Yang from the other side. "Over here!" She fired at the dragon, again and again. Everything she had.

The dragon turned away from Ruby to face its new attacker. It gave another roar, and started to spread its wings, shaking the last of the ice away.

Yang continued to fire, searching for a weak spot. She was hurting it ... but not enough.

The dragon flapped its wings and began to lift off.

"You ain't going anywhere, fella," said Blake. She threw Gambol Shroud, and it wrapped around one of the dragon's legs. Blake threw the other end around the base of a broken pillar.

But the dragon was strong. It began to drag Blake towards the edge.

Yang leaped forward, grabbing Blake and the Shroud. With all of her great strength, she hauled. For a moment, the dragon was suspended in space.

Ruby readied her weapon. _If it gets away and fully recovers_ , she thought, _it will destroy everything. Everything._

Now or never. Her eyes began to blaze with silver fire.

Weiss conjured a glyph near the dragon, and Ruby leaped onto it, and then towards the dragon. She became a red vortex, her scythe swinging, cutting into the neck of the creature, again and again as Ruby swung around, the blade piercing deeper with every sweep.

The dragon gave a howl – of pain, this time.

Ruby swung away, landing in a crouch, the scythe on her shoulder.

The dragon crashed down. Then, slowly, its head fell away from its body. It began to smoke, then fall in on itself, then turn to cinders.

The four women collapsed with exhaustion and relief.

* * *

"NO!" screamed Salem.

* * *

They were fighting back-to-back when the Grimm attack began to falter. Suddenly, the creatures seemed uncertain. Some began to turn away. The flying ones drifted upwards, and started to circle aimlessly.

"Damn," said Nora. "Damn if they didn't do it."

"Nick of time," said Ilia, wiping blood from a shoulder wound.

"A very close nick," said Sun.

"Then let's finish this while we have the chance," said Glynda.

"Heard that," said Coco. She hefted her gun again.

* * *

They picked themselves up, and stared at each other. "That was – " started Yang.

"Look out!" shouted Blake. She leaped forward, slamming into the other three. They went over the edge together.

A Nevermore swept by, snapping at the space where they had been a moment before.

Now they were hanging by Gambol Shroud, swinging slowly in the air.

"Unexpected," said Weiss.

"Indeed," said Blake.

The Nevermore had lost sight of them. It began to fly away.

"So here is Team RWBY," said Ruby. "Together, and just hanging out."

Weiss rolled her eyes. She began to climb up the Shroud to the roof. Ruby followed her.

Blake and Yang, their faces only a few inches apart, stared at each other.

"Well, here we are," said Blake.

"Yep," said Yang. "Here we are. Just you and me. You want to dance?"

"I'd love to," said Blake.

Weiss and Ruby looked out from the tower. Grimm were starting to wander away from Beacon and Vale.

"Salem's going to be pissed," said Weiss.

"Oh yeah," said Ruby. "Heh. Say, what's taking Blake and Yang so long to get up here?"

"Uh, maybe we should give them some together time," said Weiss. "I have to hand it to you, Ruby. You did it."

"A team effort, in the truest sense," said Ruby. "To tell the truth, I didn't think the plan would work. I gave it a one-in-four chance. I didn't think there was anything to gain by saying that."

"Probably not."

Blake and Yang appeared.

"Lipstick needs repairing, Blake," said Weiss.

"What? Oh, yeah, right," said Blake. She took a lipstick from her pocket and did a touch-up.

"You know it's just going to get messed up again, don't you?" said Yang.

"I certainly hope so," said Blake. Suddenly, she began to chuckle. " 'Hanging out'," she said. "I just got that."

Weiss gave a little laugh. "Really, you've got to love her," she said.

"Yes," said Yang. "You do."

END (to be continued)


End file.
